Musical Tricks and Treats

Nick Mosley, Conductor & Musical Director

Nick Mosley is proud to be a part of the thriving West Michigan music community.  He has performed on piano, organ, viola, bassoon and saxophone.  Nick earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University in 2003, double majoring in both music education and organ performance.  He also was a member of the WMU bassoon studio, performing with both the University Symphonic Band and University Orchestra, as well as the graduate wind quintet on the band’s 2003 tour to Brazil.  Nick earned his master’s degree in conducting from the American Band College of Southern Oregon University in 2009.  

This is Nick’s 3rd year as director of the SCO, 20th year as a school music educator, and 10th year as the orchestra director at Mona Shores Middle School. Over the years he has taught band, orchestra, choir and general music at all levels K-12.  He has served on the board of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association District VII and has been named the District VII 2022-23 Orchestra Teacher of the Year.  He currently serves on the board of the Michigan Chapter of the American String Teacher Association and has presented at the Michigan Music Conference.  He serves as the organist at Forest Park Covenant Church, and regularly accompanies students at Solo & Ensemble Festivals and other performances throughout the year.

Nick and his wife, Maggie, have two string-playing children, Alexander and Eliana, and reside in Grand Haven.

Gail A. Brechting, Conductor & Musical Director

Gail Brechting is in her twenty-sixth year as the conductor of the award-winning West Michigan Concert WINDS.   Under her direction, the WINDS received the John Phillip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Silver Scroll Award, America’s most prestigious community concert band award. She has organized five international tours with the WINDS, with a 2024 Scotland/Ireland tour being planned. She has had the privilege of conducting the WINDS in Chicago’s Symphony Hall, as well as the historic Carnegie Hall in New York City. Before becoming conductor, Mrs. Brechting was principal trombone with the WINDS and performed with many area music ensembles including the Traverse City Symphony, the Lansing Concert Band, The Lake Effect Brass, and the West Shore Symphony. In addition, is a soprano vocal soloist in West Michigan.

From 1996-1999 Mrs. Brechting represented MSBOA as the State Representative for the Michigan Youth Arts Festival. For forty years, she has been an active district and state level adjudicator for low brass, band and orchestras as well as teaching private trombone, euphonium and tuba lessons to students of all ages.

She has been the guest conductor with the Acadia Winds in Louisiana, Hot Springs Community Band in Arkansas, was the featured conductor with the Louisiana Middle School Honors Band, and she served as guest clinician and conductor with the Winter Park High School in Florida. She is the 2019 & 2022 recipient of the Harry Begian Conductor Scholar award, through Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.

Mrs. Brechting is presently the President of the Association of Concert Bands, also serving two previous terms on the board of directors. She has recently been named the Lifelong Arts Program Director with Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. She is a member of the National Band Association, an Associate Member of the American Bandmasters Association, the College Band Directors Association, an Emeritus member of Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, P.E.O. and the Women Band Directors Association. She is the first woman selected by the John Philip Sousa Foundation to serve as the Chairperson of the Sudler Silver Scroll Award selection committee. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Michigan University and a Master of Arts degree from West Michigan University. Mrs. Brechting is a former music faculty of Muskegon Community College and retired in 2019, after a 40-year public school music education career, 34 of those with the Reeths-Puffer Schools in Muskegon, MI. In her spare time, she trains and competes as a US Masters swimmer, recently attaining two gold and silver medals.

Mrs. Brechting lives in Spring Lake with her engineer/pianist husband Frank. Their daughter Annelise, a Physician Associate graduate student at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI.